1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system and method of activating a mobile device in a PCS-type wireless network, and more specifically, to a system and method of identifying and activating a SIM-based mobile device in a PCS-type wireless network.
2. Discussion of Related Art
New users of mobile devices, such as cellular telephones, palm pilots, and the like, can register and activate their mobile devices with a wireless network in several ways. One manner of registering a mobile device with a wireless network is to personally meet with a service provider, purchase or receive a wireless device, and have the service provider enter activation data into the wireless network related to the individual and the mobile device identification. In this manner, when the user begins to use the mobile device, the wireless network will recognize the user and mobile device to enable the user to make calls and communicate data.
The foregoing procedure is used in the global system for mobile communication (GSM) system. In a GSM system, an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) is fixed in a subscriber identity module (SIM) and the carrier's system records the IMSI which is reported by the wireless device after the attachment or registration process is completed.
Another method of enabling a user to register and activate a mobile device with a wireless network is through over-the-air activation (OAA). In this method, when a mobile device is first used, it identifies itself to the wireless network using temporary identification data stored on the wireless device. Through the process of the initial communication of data between the mobile device and the wireless network, the mobile device can be registered and activated with the network without the need of the user physically meeting with the service provider.
One wireless system that utilizes OAA is the ANSI-136/41 standard-compliant network. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is an industry standards group that coordinates volunteer standards activities in the U.S. The ANSI-136/41 network is also known as a TDMA (time-division-multiple-access) network or commonly called the personal communication service (PCS) network. In terms of this disclosure, a PCS wireless network may also refer to any wireless network that does not typically support or is capable of activating over-the-air SIM-based mobile devices such as those used in a GSM network. Another wireless network that uses the OAA is the advanced mobile phone system (AMPS). The AMPS system is an analog cellular telephone standard.
The TDMA/AMPS wireless networks include a mobile identification number (MIN) which is temporary and is overwritten in an over-the-air activation process. In an ANSI-136/41 network, the OAA is accomplished by the mobile device registering using the MIN. The MIN can be the telephone number of the mobile device. The ANSI-136 revision A specifies that the activation MIN for un-programmed mobiles shall be of the form 000-Nxx-xxxx in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). This format conforms to the traditional 10-digit telephone number that is dialed by another party. The “000” is the area code, “Nxx” is the three-digit exchange office number and “xxxx” is the four-digit extension number. This allows for the identification and routing of the activation-MIN to an over-the-air-processor (OTAP) for temporary registration of the mobile device on the ANSI network.
These two differing wireless networks, the GSM and ANSI-136/41, do not provide cross-support for the registration/activation process. For example, a mobile device using the SIM card will not be recognized if it attempts to register and activate on an ANSI-136/41 system. This is because the registration, authentication and activation processes between these two cellular systems use different keys and algorithms. Since TDMA networks don't currently support mobile devices using SIMs, a new OTAP function is needed to perform over-the-air activation to these devices. One can program a SIM manually, through a kiosk, or have a point-of-sale person program the SIM through a special device. However, these mechanisms require some sort of physical connection to a programming device. The procedures may even vary from manufacturer to manufacturer of the SIM cards regarding the programming procedures within a GSM wireless network.
The foregoing brief explanation of the registration/activation process is for what is generally called the “second generation” of wireless services. The second generation generally refers to voice-only services, but may also refer to the ANSI-136 wireless standard. When a mobile device uses the above-described techniques for OAA and registration, the mobile device identifies itself as a second-generation device. With the advent of digital data services that enable Internet access through wireless devices, the next generation, or “third generation”, of mobile devices and wireless networks are being developed. In order for a third-generation mobile device to be recognized by the network as such and take advantage of the third-generation services, the mobile device must transmit in the OAA procedures that it is a third-generation mobile device.